Who Is Sir Allen Stanford (Other Than $8B Scammer)?

Alleged fraudster R. Allen Stanford may not have been a household name before the SEC accused him of skullduggery yesterday, but not because he’s been keeping a low profile. Calling himself “Sir” Allen Stanford ever since he was knighted in Antigua in 2006, the colorful financier is the world’s 605th richest man, with $2.2 billion in assets and six private jets. He's thrown that wealth around as a high-profile sports sponsor and political patron, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Stanford sponsors the PGA’s St. Jude Championship, and is a major cricket aficionado; in November, he flew a West Indies all-star team to Antigua for a $20 million match with England. Antigua is Stanford’s adopted country—he commutes there by air from his home in St. Croix—but he’s originally a “fifth-generation Texan," who claims he’s related to Stanford University founder Leland Stanford. The school disputes that, and has a lawsuit pending over his group's logo. (More Robert Allen Stanford stories.)